Rabbit in the Crow's Nest
by randomlittlephantom
Summary: Kagura did not remain on the planet of Rakuyou after the death of her mother. She was tossed around by fate, only to end up fleeing to the city of Edo in search of a white demon.
1. Chapter 1

**Note: The girl is Kagura, but the reason why she doesn't use that name will come later.**

* * *

A lone figure hopped silently through the trees, completely clothed in black. Occasionally, the small shadow dropped to the ground, weaving through the trees and dashing across streams and rivers alike. The moon sung and the stars whispered, but the figure was unmoved. Until finally the tree line broke, and the figure stopped, just a meter away from the edge of the cliff. The masked figure observed the brightly lit city sprawled a distance before its position on the cliff.

"Edo..."

* * *

Gin woke to an incessant ringing.

"If I don't answer, they'll eventually go away," he mumbled to himself. It didn't.

"Gin-san! Hello? Is anybody home?"

"Tch," Gin said as he dragged himself out of the comforts of his blanket and to the front door. He slammed the sliding door open, glaring at the startled boy who's finger hovered over the bell. "What do you want," he ground out irritably.

The boy straightened, a bright, naive smile on his face.

"I came just as I promised. I look forward to working with you, Gin-san!" the boy chirped.

Gin blinked, rubbing his eyes. "Huh? Who are you?"

"Um, it's Shimura Shinpachi. You helped me and my Aneue just yesterday, remember? I told you I wanted to work under you."

"...Hah? You were serious about that? Look... Shintaro-"

"It's Shinpachi."

"I'm not exactly hiring. I'm barely paying rent, what makes you think I can pay you so that you can help your family?"

"Even then... I really want to work alongside you. I get this feeling that if I stand by you, I'll be able to see sights I've never seen before.

Gin scratched his head. "You don't look like you're going to give up anytime soon. Ugh. Fine. Whatever. Since you woke me up early, make me some breakfast."

"But it's already noon."

"Then lunch. Just make me food."

...

"Hungry... I'm hungry," the girl mumbled as she walked through the crowded streets. Her use of an umbrella and cloak despite it being a clear day drew attention, though she ignored them. Her eyes traveled curiously at her surroundings, drinking up everything she could see. So this is what it was like to walk the streets during the day, filled with color and life. She paused, tipping the umbrella so she could see the taller buildings. Among all the skyscrapers, the Terminal stood proudly above the rest, surrounded by the hum of energy and engines of ships coming in and out.

She could pinpoint the moment she felt someone's eyes on her. Invasive and greedy. She pretended to take notice, continuing on her way to nowhere. And the gaze continued to follow. Irritating.

'No killing,' she reminded herself. She didn't want to attract unwanted attention. She traveled a couple more streets before stepping into an alley. She scaled the walls and waited. Not a minute later, a man with strange hair stumbled into the alley, eyes searching. He wasn't a threat, she immediately concluded. It wouldn't take more than a flick to kill him. She dropped down behind him, pressing the tip of her umbrella to the back of his neck. The man froze, slowly raising his arms in a gesture of surrender.

"I don't enjoy being tailed. Speak your purpose," she said, voice quiet and hoarse from disuse. The man turned slowly with a nervous laugh.

"Well, it's just you're new to the city, aren't you?" he asked, throwing a glance towards the small traveling pack slung over her shoulder. "In fact, you're probably new to this planet. It's hard to make in a city like this, you know? Especially for a girl so young like you. How about coming with me? I run a small organization of sorts, though we're still an up and coming group. You can join us. We'll change our situations together."

This man thought she was stupid. This man _was_ stupid. A bead of sweat dropped down the man's neck as she gave no response.

"Look..." he slowly reached into his pocket, offering her a packet of Ochadzuke. "Think about it. It'll give you food and shelter. All you need to give us in return is a hand once in a while."

Did this pathetic man think that would win her over? Just how cheap was he? She had no doubts that he had approached her because of her cursed race. The strength that came with it.

"I'll give you time-"

"Alright. Lead the way," she cut in. Lowering the umbrella offering him a smile.

"Huh? Really- I mean- Great! Just follow me!" the man said with a smirk, satisfied with his accomplishment.

She opened her umbrella and followed him back onto the streets, smile never dropping.

She would stick around until she got got accustomed to how society and culture here worked. And then...

* * *

"Oh crap! Shounen Jump comes out today!" Gin groaned, smacking himself. "I forgot that it was set to release on Saturday this week. We have to go back!" he announced to the boy sitting behind him on the scooter. After a month after the boy's arrival, and Gin had become accustomed to the boy's... well, rather average presence. He was normal enough that his abrupt presence in his life had little to no impact. He cooked pretty well too. The glasses boy oddly enough made it a point to coming early and staying late. He worked diligently and even made meals without complaint. When asked why he didn't go home and eat, he only mumbled something darkly under his breath.

"Who cares? We already have all the ingredients we need for sukiyaki," he replied.

"Ughhh... Well this might be a good opportunity to stop reading Jump habit. What am I even doing, reading Jump at my age? But a man remains a child until his death..." Gin contemplated, looking towards the sky.

"Uh, can you keep your embarrassing comments to yourself?" Shinpachi relied blandly.

"Ah, well- Watch out!" Gin screeched as a girl appeared just in front of the scooter. It was way too late even as he slammed on the brakes. They collided with the girl, causing her to collapse while they swerved onto the sidewalk. Her body laid still on the road, a red umbrella and sack scattered next to her.

Gin turned to gape as the scooter came to a stop.

"You... you ran her over!" Shinpachi screeched, panic evident in his tone. "This is all your fault! What were you doing not paying attention to the road?!"

"C..C-calm down!" Gin said, shoving his head into the slot of a nearby vending machine. "A-all we got to is find a time machine!"

"You're the one that needs to calm down!" Shinpachi said indignantly.

"It should be okay," Gin said nervously as they approached the prone body. "According to the fortune teller on TV, my fortune this weekend is great." He bent down next to the unmoving body. "I'm sure she's miraculously unhurt. Hey lady..."

Gin nudged her over, freezing at the sight of a growing pool of blood.

"That damn fortune teller! I'm never watching that garbage again! Though the weather girl's pretty cute!" Gin screamed as they raced down the street. "How's she doing?"

In their panic, they had ended up tying the girl to Shinpachi's back and driving away from the crime scene on the scooter.

"She's not moving at all," Shinpachi said, worried.

"Gah! We need to get her to a hospital!" Gin groaned.

A black car with tinted windows suddenly pulled up alongside them. The window rolled down, revealing a man with permed hair... and a gun. Gin sped up immediately, attempting to put distance between them. Just what was going on?

Gin gritted his teeth as he heard the man fire thrice.

"Shit!" he cursed, bracing himself. He glanced over his shoulder when he heard no cries of pain. Was that, an umbrella?

The girl was awake, holding out the umbrella she had been carrying when they crashed into her. Gin's mind raced. The umbrella was perfectly fine. But there was no way a freaking umbrella had stopped the bullets... right?

And then, something even crazier happened. The girl closed the umbrella and started shooting back as if she was holding a machine gun and not a goddamn umbrella.

The car's front window cracked and the car swerved into a tree. Gin gawked at her with Shinpachi.

"You're going to crash again if you don't face forward," the girl spoke for the first time.

...

"I won't die just because you ran over me with a scooter," the girl said in the alley they had stopped in. She brushed the dirt off the black cheongsam she was wearing and retied her vermilion hair back into a low ponytail. Ocean blue eyes surveyed them with what seemed to be disinterest.

"The hell... you eat glue with your rice or something?" The silver haired man mumbled. "Well. Whatever. As long as you're fine. We'll be going now. Come on Shinpachi."

They both raced to leave. The girl cocked her head. They didn't look like they knew what she was. And more importantly, that silvery-white hair...

She grabbed the back of their scooter just as the man pressed the gas pedal.

"Ara, Shinpachi. Did you gain weight all of a sudden?" the man asked.

"From what I know, most adults would help a girl being chased by dangerous men," she stated. "This is the first I've seen someone flat out ignore it."

"Well, I'm still a kid at heart, you know? And in this country, a person who stops a motor scooter isn't considered a 'girl'. They're called mountain gorillas."

Just then, a group of men with the same perm as the earlier man passed the alley.

"There they are! Get them!" one of the men screamed.

The three immediately turned and ran, abandoning the scooter.

"What a persistent bunch," the girl said with narrowed eyes.

"Why are they even following you, Miss?!" the boy named Shinpachi shouted as they dashed into a side alley.

"I'm not sure. I joined their little club for a while since I was hungry, but I have no use of them anymore."

"That 'club' is actually a gang," the silver haired man corrected as he tipped a trash can to hinder their pursuers.

They finally distanced themselves enough to hide behind a pile of trash bags. There was a sigh of relief as the group ran past without a second thought.

"They should know that there is a chance to being used when using," the girl said tonelessly as they climbed out of their positions.

"Well, you sound like you know the gist of how the world works," the man said as he climbed out of the trash can. "Well, it's your problem so you take care of it yourself." With that, the man walked away.

"Hey wait! Gin-san!" Shinpachi complained.

The girl's eyes studied the man even as he left. He smelled of someone who knew war. The man froze, turning to give her an appraising eye. She offered him a smile, and the man's eyes narrowed. He turned, leaving just her and Shinpachi.

"So... you're not from around here, huh? Do you want to go home?" Shinpachi said kindly, turning to her.

She stayed silent. What was she supposed to say? She had no home to speak of. Besides, she had a feeling she had found her subject of interest.

"Are you from the countryside, or..?"

"I do not originate from here," she said shortly.

"Er... then I suppose you need to get to the terminal, huh? I'll help you! We're the Yorozuya after all," he gestured proudly.

"Odd jobs?" she asked. From the stories she had heard, that was definitely not what the silver haired man, Gin was supposed to be like.

"Yup! Ask us anything and we'll do it for you!"

How curious.

"When you say you don't originate from here, I suppose your home planet is elsewhere. You'll need to get to the Terminal to leave this planet so let's go."

She might as well go with it for now. She had a feeling that the silver haired man would be back.

* * *

"Are you guys all idiots?! You're telling me you couldn't catch one little girl!" Inoue raged. "And you have the gall to call yourselves part of a gang?! How can you even call yourselves punch perms?!"

"But Aniki, we're up against a Yato clansman. We can't do anything against-"

Inoue punched the man with a sneer.

"Are you an idiot? That's exactly why we need it!" he yelled as several men came forth to hold him back. "Our Punch Perm gang could rise to the top if we capture that monster! Their clan is already falling apart. It's a dying clan. Do you understand how much she'd be worth if we get her? Whether we keep using her or we sell her..." Inoue sat back down, taking several breaths. He slid the last two balls of dango into his mouth. "Well, if she refuses to come back and work for us, that's fine. I don't care anymore. Kill her and take back that money she stole! I'm sure there are plenty still waiting to pay for the corpse of a Yato. It would be a problem if she finds her way into another gang. That would be a major threat for us. Tools that have no use should be gotten rid of."

...

"Is this how the Yorozuya operate?" the girl asked blandly.

"Shut up! This is all your fault! How'd you manage to piss them off so much?!" Shinpachi whispered, tipping the lid of the trashcan to peer outside. "Well, it seems the coast is clear." He pointed to the train arriving.

"You just take that train and you'll arrive at the Terminal in no time. But, man. Gin-san was so cruel, leaving us."

"That's just what everybody is like. People are selfish. And people who care about other people are just idiots. But, I don't think idiots are completely unlikable. Though, I hate you."

"Hey, I thought I just heard a rather unpleasant comment..." Shinpachi said, turning to the girl next to him.

"People with glasses are despicable," she said with a straight face.

"What the hell?! Isn't your character changing?! After all I've done for you-!"

"...Stuck."

Shinpachi paused. He shifted, trying to stand up.

"Shoot. Crap, this is the worst possible situation!" He groaned as he struggled to free himself. He cursed as the bell for the train began ringing. "Crap! It's going to leave. Just roll, come on!" He tipped them over, causing the girl to grunt. They began rolling towards the open door of the train.

Just a couple more meters-!

There little journey was put to a halt, and Shinpachi looked up with dread.

"Hey... rolling into trains is dangerous. Too bad, Katsumi. You almost got away."

"Oh. It's Piggy*."

"It's Inoue, you damn brat! It was mean of you to leave without a word after we took care of you. With our money no less. Give it back!"

"You stole from them?!" Shinpachi gasped. "No wonder they're angry at you."

"I just took my share of what was earned. It just happens I did most of the work, so I took most of the money. And the food was lame," the girl, Katusmi said. The train pulled away and Shinpachi watched it go with a sinking feeling in his chest.

"Is this really the path you're going to choose?" Inoue sneered as he crouched down next to them. "What are you going to do then, huh? You're from a clan that only knows how to fight. Isn't that right, Yatozaku?*"

"Yatozaku..?" Shinpachi asked. The term seemed awfully familiar.

"You were helping her without even knowing? You must have at least heard of them," Inoue said, amused. "The best and worst clan, the 'Yato'. The strongest and most terrible mercenary race in the universe. They look just like humans, but their physical abilities far surpass that of any other race. Their fighting abilities are unmatched. They've destroyed many stars and planets alike. They're a clan with war as their priority. It looks like this monster was hiding it, but your transparent skin and umbrella are proof of your race. They hate the light of day, and hide under their ever present umbrella. You always seemed to enjoy fighting, right, Katsumi? Your instinct drives you to spill blood."

Shinpachi looked towards the girl next to him in shock. The girl's face remained blank.

"You have a mouth you love to let running, huh Piggy?" Katsumi said coldly. "Don't make assumptions with that idiot brain of yours. And don't associate me with that cursed clan. You're acting might high for someone who kept sniveling and begging someone younger to go beat the bullies that were picking on you."

"Brave words for someone that can't move," Inoue said as he kicked the trashcan they were in onto the tracks. "You're useless if you won't fight. Sayonara."

"Hey wait!" Shinpachi shouted, struggling to free himself. This had to be a bad joke. "Don't just leave us here!"

The sound of another train coming had Shinpachi's soul leaving his body.

"What the hell is this?! That timing is something that came straight out of fiction!"

"Oh. Looks like you're going to die," Katsumi said.

"Just me?! You're trapped with me too!" Shinpachi said, completely losing all sense of rationality.

"Damn... Getting me involved. You brats."

"Gin-san!" Shinpachi cried, spotting the familiar scooter racing alongside the train. His bokken was ready in his hand.

"Grit your teeth and hang in there!" Gin said, pulling his arm back.

"H-hey, wait!" Shinpachi said, getting the general idea of what the man was planning. "Wait a second!"

He closed his eyes as he felt the impact of the sword and the weightlessness of being airborne. What kind of crazy situation was this?

...

Gin came to a stop once the two were clear. He sighed, letting the train pass by. The trashcan spun in the air before dropping back onto the station platform. He watched as the two were freed. He focused on the girl from earlier. She was the real problem here.

The girl her way calmly to the group staring at her with unadulterated fear.

"A Yato's instinct is to fight. But... that instinct has long abandoned me. I fight when I need to and I'll do it for myself," the girl said simply. She lifted her umbrella, and he was mildly impressed at the men's instincts to flee. All but the guy who seemed to be the leader.

"Tch. You..! You're outnumbered! Get her boys!" he screamed, turning around to empty space.

"We can't stand it anymore! You're on your own!" one of them cried.

"H-hey!" The man stuttered.

"Piggy."

"W-w-what is it?" the man stuttered. It was a pathetic display, Gin observed. The fully grown man was all but trembling before the young girl. The girl smiled. "Since you were ready to kill, I'm sure you were prepared to be killed as well."

Gin straightened, ready to interfere if he needed to. The man was sweating like no tomorrow, too fearful to even move.

"But... killing you is worth little. And sometimes, living and surviving is the most painful punishment. But I can't let you go scot-free, yes? How about I do the world a favor?"

Gin let the tension drain out of him when she simple knocked him unconscious and proceeded to shave the man bald. He climbed onto the platform, eyes shining when he spotted what he had originally come for. The new issue of Jump!

"Thanks for the save, Gin-san," Shinpachi said relieved, taking a seat next to him as he read the Jump.

"I was looking for Jump and just happened to come to the station. Saving you was a complete coincidence. Aren't you happy you didn't die though?"

"So our lives aren't even worth 230 yen?" Shinpachi asked with irritation.

"Oh look there's the train," Gin said without even looking up. "Get on and don't ever come back, you bad luck girl."

"I don't recall saying I ever wanted to leave," the girl said, turning to them. Gin raised a brow as she revealed that she had left some hair at the back of the man's to outline a smiling face. "I'm going to stay here for a while longer. So I'm going to work under you."

Gin ripped his jump in shock. No. No. No. This was not happening.

"No way! Why should I take in a violent girl like you-"

There was a smash as the wall between him and Shinpachi crumbled under her fist.

"Did you say something?" she asked.

"...No," they both mumbled in fear.

"Good. Ah, also, I don't have a place to stay so I'm staying with you, Gin-san is it?"

"W-what? Wait a second-" he protested, but she was already walking ahead.

"Tch, this is troublesome," Gin sighed, scratching his head.

He had noticed it earlier in the alley. Her eyes seemed lifeless, the eyes of someone who had seen too much despite her young age. The same eyes of his once comrades after the war. And that smile. That strange smile that looked more like a monster pretending to be human.

He had just let a monster under his roof.

* * *

The rain poured over the port town. It was always raining in this godforsaken town. The teen shifted his gaze from the town to the gravestone on the cliff.

"Happy Death day, Kaa-san. It looks like your son was the only one who remembered, but I suppose this is how it is. I wasn't there for your death after failing to save you, so I at least must visit you even in death. I... I have gotten stronger. Just like Umibouzu said to. I promise... I will one day kill the man who killed you and rip that so called 'strongest' title from him."

He rested a lone flower on top of the stone. Her favorite. He smiled, but he couldn't help but wondering where the rest of his former family was. How could they not have come to pay their respects? The day was almost over.

Umibouzu, he could see just forgetting or ignoring it.

But where was his crybaby of a sister?


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Look here," Gin sighed as he gestured around as the girl scanned the surroundings. "There's only one room besides the main office and that's mine. I'm not giving up my room and I ain't sharing with you either."

Gin watched warily as she slid opened the closet.

"I don't take up too much space, and I don't mean to impose on you."

"No, you coming here is imposing on me-"

"This will work fine. I've worked with worse."

"That's the closet," Gin protested weakly even as the Yato removed most of the extra blankets out and threw her stuff in onto the top shelf. She herself hopped up, spreading one of the blankets she hadn' thrown out. "Gah... You're going to Gin-san arrested."

"Arrested? How so?" the little beast asked, her head cocking in confusion.

"Well, you know..." Gin said, running a hand through his hair. "An adult male living under the same roof as a girl under legal age is... Well, it's frowned upon because you know... Moreover, I'm not your guardian or anything. Hell, we're strangers, yeah?"

The girl blinked.

"I have lived under the same roof of older men without issues before. I do not understand what is there to be concerned about."

Gin let out a loud groan of frustration.

"You're really dense, aren't you?! And you don't have an ounce of caution either? You can't go following strange men, you hear? What if they're lolicons or pedophiles? What if they did **** and ****** to you?!" Gin shouted.

The girl seemed to think this over.

"Lolicons and pedo... files? And what's **** and ******?"

"...Not very good things," Gin choked out after much hesitation. Apparently there was some part of this monster that was innocent.

"There's no need to worry. If it comes down to it, I am perfectly capable of defending myself. And you seem like you are adverse to these **** and ******. Even if you were to turn into one of these... lolipops or pedopill," the Yato offered a smile, "the last thing you should be concerned about is being arrested."

The closet door slammed shut and Gin could only laugh nervously.

"That was a death threat, wasn't it? That was definitely a death threat..."

...

Gintoki spent an uneasy night of rest, convinced that the girl would do something. The girl made no moves that night whatsoever.

Gin walked into the main room tiredly, hoping that last night had been nothing but a bad dream. He glared at the sight of the girl perched on the sofa, legs crossed and skimming through the pages of one of his old Jump.

"Oi, who said you could mess with my stuff? Don't you know it's common courtesy not to touch other people's things?" he grouched. And what was her name again?

"I was merely curious what humans do to entertain themselves," the girl said as she placed the Jump on the table, taking out a dull notebook seemingly out of nowhere. Gin eyed what looked like old blood stains on the cover warily.

"Hah? What are you talking about? Whether it's a human or an Amanto, don't they pretty much go about and enjoy similar things?" Gin said as he snatched the book from the table. He was relieved when there was no major signs of damage.

"From what I've gathered so far, many humans seem to enjoy alcohol as well as the company of the other sex. Males in particular seem to indulge themselves in venues where they are tended to by many females," she read off of one of the pages. "There also seems to be a great attraction to gambling where people spend considerable amounts of money for no reason at all."

Gin coughed. She wasn't wrong, and that was just about all of it too.

"Those are more base desires then pleasures... er, Karui, was it?"

"Katsumi."

"Sure, sure. Katsumi then. I'm not the best human to study if you want to know what humans are like. I'm not all that interesting you see? I'm a lame ass man who's still reading Jump at his old age, binges on junk food, and... I'm actually kind of the worst human, so you might be better off finding someone else..?" Gin faltered. But letting the beast out of his line of sight was a whole other problem.

"I am curious what humans do to entertain themselves... but there are other things that are much more interesting. You, you're a samurai aren't you?"

Gin's eyes flew to hips where his wooden bokuto rested.

"I heard samurai are pretty rare since a majority of them were wiped out along with the sword ban. What samurai do remain operate under the government or are rebels that seek to recover their lost pride. But you are neither part of the government, nor are you one that seems to seek revenge for what has been lost. Why is that? If you have given up, then why have you not let go of your sword?"

His hands skimmed the wooden handle.

"I haven't given up anything. And write this down along with not touching other people's things: don't butt into other people's business, you brat."

Katsumi only nodded, proceeding to write in the notebook.

Shinpachi arrived not long after with ingredients for breakfast.

"Here you go, Katsumi-chan," Shinpachi said as he set down a bowl of rice in front of the girl.

She hesitantly picked up the bowl, but downed it down in seconds. She chewed with a contemplative look on her face. "Even now... food doesn't taste good."

"That was plain rice, why do you think it would taste good?" Gin asked, ready to sigh. "Don't be so dramatic. You've got to eat it with the side dishes."

The girl picked one of the side dishes up... than practically drank it.

"Oiiii! You can't eat side dishes just like that! You have to eat it with the rice! With it!" Shinpachi explained.

"I don't think it matters. Food is supposed to taste good, but I don't ever remember tasting much of anything. Even after coming to Edo, nothing has changed. It seems it is not an issue of location or company but with my body," Katsumi said tonelessly.

"You say that but you're taking another helping of rice," Gin accused Katsumi as she refilled her bowl.

"I need at least this much to function or I'll get sick and die."

"Sure, sure, you brat."

* * *

And so a week passed, and Katsumi didn't show any sign of the doing much of anything. She was quiet for the most part, observing both him and Shinpachi with rapt attention and interjecting on occasion. She followed them on the occasional job, lending a hand quietly. He came to the conclusion that perhaps she had no intention of killing, at least not while he still held her interest.

"Gin-chan, why did Akari give herself up to the enemy?" Katsumi asked as she watched the four o' clock drama with him. "Is she stupid?"

"You wouldn't understand since you haven't watched the previous episodes. They're holding Dan-kun's little sister hostage. It was Akari-chan's own decision to sacrifice her life for his sister's because she loves Dan and didn't want to see him suffer. And who're you calling Gin-chan, you brat?"

"Love?" Katsumi said, ignoring his last question. "That sounds pretty dumb. Only idiots give up their lives for the sake of someone else. She's going to end up dying."

Gin eyed her from the corner of his eye.

"People do stupid things for love. Being an idiot like that, is that so bad? And Akari-chan won't die. She's the heroine of the show, after all."

...

"Listen up you all!" Gin ground out, foot tapping patiently as he looked down at the two unimpressed teens. "My huge stash of chocolate I was saving has recently disappeared. Whoever ate it raise your hand. If you fess up now, I'll only kill three-quarters of you."

"Three-quarters is almost fully dead," Shinpachi replied, sipping his tea. "And you should really stop with the sweets or you're going to get diabetes."

"Another Embassy targeted," Katsumi muttered, eyes still scanning through the newspaper. "Bombings continue as officials fail to find leads... they're pretty incompetent then, huh? No wonder this country surrendered to amanto."

Gin grabbed the girl, ignoring how her eyes flashed and her arms twitched instinctively.

"You're the one that ate it, didn't you? There's no way Shinpachi could eat it all."

"I don't want your food. I'll eat what I need to survive and that's it."

"Liar, I can smell it on your breath!" he rebutted. Katsumi's eyes narrowed.

A shout, then a loud crash interrupted whatever she might have said next. Gin raced out, looking over the balcony. "Oi, oi. What's going on down there."

There was a scooter crashed onto its side with its driver curled on the ground in pain. Not a second later, the old hag from downstairs ran out, rage written on her face.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing, crashing into my store?!" Otose yelled as she shook the man back and forth by the collar. "You'd better be prepared to die!"

"I'm so sorry," the man protested weakly. "I didn't get enough sleep last night..."

"Then I'll let you sleep for all eternity," Otose replied, cocking a fist back. Gin followed Shinpachi down the stairs, ready to prevent the man from getting more injured. Seriously, what was wrong with that old lady?

"Otose-san! Don't do that to an injured man!" Shinpachi begged, getting Otose to reluctantly release the man. "Are you all right? This is terrible. Katsumi-chan, call for an amublance."

"Amublance," the girl called in a slightly louder voice than usual.

"He didn't mean it literally," Gin exclaimed. He looked around at the mess, picking up one of the envelopes scattered around. "You're a mailman, huh? There's no way you'll be able to deliver these in your state."

"T-this," the man held out a brown package which looked awfully like it contained a book. "Please deliver this in my stead. Please... It seems like an important package. If I don't deliver it, I might get fired. Please..."

Gin took the outstretched package, and as if relieved of his duty, the man collapsed.

He stared at the package and his two companions. Well, they had time, and they could maybe demand compensation from the man later. "Let's go," he gestured to the two, tossing the package to Katsumi to hold.

The address on the package lead them to...

"This place?" Gin said, looking at the castle surrounded by gardens and a gate. "This is the right place, right?"

"The embassy?" Shinpachi said, peering at it through the gates. "This is the Dog Star's embassy! The dogs were the first Amanto to come to Earth, weren't they?"

"Yep," Gin said, drawing away Katsumi's attention from a monk sitting by the walls. "They're the scumbags who came down and took over Edo. This place is no good at all."

"Gin-chan, this package smells weird," Katsumi said softly, sniffing at it.

"What are you an animal?" Gin asked.

"Oi! What the hell are you doing there?" A gruff voice caused the three to turn, startled. A dog that looked more like a bear stood in armor with a spear in hand. "You wanna get yer asses kicked, woof?"

"No, we were just asked to deliver something," Shinpachi said fearfully.

Gin turned to Katsumi, about to tell her to hand the package over. But the girl was crouching on the ground, beckoning with her hand.

"Here, doggy," she said softly, surprising Gin at her almost human tone. "I'll give you a treat."

Disbelief at her stupidity overtook his surprise, causing him to smack her head.

"What the shit are you doing?!" Gin yelled. The girl trembled, looking up at him with deadly eyes. Gin ignored the killing intent rolling off of her and took the package. He offered it to the dog. "Here, this is it."

"I didn't hear about any package coming. We're already stretched to our limits because of these bombings," the dog said, looking at them distrustfully. "Get out of here!"

At that moment, Gin recalled Katsumi saying that it smelled weird, causing a light bulb to go off in his head.

"It might be dog food. Take it," Gin insisted.

"Who the hell would eat that?!" The dog said angrily, hitting the package out of his outstretched hand and causing it to fly over the wall. It touched the ground, then proceeded to explode. Gin watched, dread slowly creeping up on him.

"I don't know what just happened, but I do know what we need to do... Run!" Gin screamed at the two young teens. They scrambled to leave.

"Oi, wait!" The dog screamed. And then Shinpachi, poor, slow little Shinpachi got caught. And then that little shit grabbed his wrist. So it was only fair he grabbed the Yato before she could escape by herself.

"What the hell are you doing, Shinpachi? Let go?" Gin said with a strained voice.

"No way! I don't want to be taken in by myself!" The boy cried. Damn his surprisingly strong grip. And to make matters worse, Katsumi's pull was pretty strong, to the point he swore he felt he would be torn in half.

"Aren't you supposed to say something like, 'Don't worry about me and just go?'" Gin bit back.

"I'd rather not draw unneeded attention like this so how about one of you let go before I make you let go," Katsumi said with a slightly aggravated stare.

Shinpachi screamed as a group of dogs began storming towards them. Gin gritted his teeth as they got closer and closer. He didn't want to let it come down to a fight...

There were shouts and howls from the dogs as a figure jumped on top of them, using their heads like stepping stones. The dog gripping onto Shinpachi collapsed as the man stomped on its head. The monk from before crouched down before them, his staff clinking with the wind. The monk tilted the brim of his wide hat back, revealing someone who Gin had not seen in quite a few years.

"Get out of here, Gintoki," Zura said, in that oh so nostalgic tone.

"...Zura? Zura Kotarou?" Gin said, mouth dry. He was cut short on his thoughts as he was uppercutted.

"It's not Zura, it's Katsura!" the long haired male yelled. Gin internally laughed. It was definitely the same old Zura with the same old routine.

"Hey, is that really how you're going to greet me after all this time?" Gin said, wiping away the blood that spilled out of his mouth.

"I've told you so many times to stop calling me by that nickname," Zura rebutted.

"Hey, what are you even doing here?" Gintoki asked, confused. "We haven't seen each other in years and all of a sudden-"

"Stop right there!" the group of dogs called, having recovered from the unexpected interference. They dashed forth, causing Zura to grab his kimono and start pulling him away.

"I'll tell you later, Gintoki. Let's go!"

...

"Looks like they've finally shown themselves," a man grinned, setting down the binoculars. "Yamazaki."

"Yes, sir?"

"Capture them at all costs."

"Yes, sir," the man said as he left.

Hijikata pulled out the wanted poster matching the face of one of the men running away.

"In this world controlled by Amanto, the hero leading the fight against them is just another rebel without a cause," he said with slight pity. "He's got some guts, though, to think of driving out the Amanto this late in the game."

Hijikata crumbled the paper and threw it at the sleeping teen.

"Oi, wake up, Okita."

The boy sat up mechanically.

"How could you sleep through that blast?" Hijikata asked incredulously.

"You mean that we failed yet again to prevent a bombing?" The teen said as he pulled down his sleeping mask. "What are you doing, Hijikata-san? You should take your job more seriously."

"Shall I put you to sleep you ingrate?" Hijikata grinded out. He gripped the hilt of his katana. "I don't care how powerful the Amanto are. I'll get to the bottom of this and slice up whoever is responsible. This will be a great moment for the Shinsengumi."

* * *

Katsumi nibbled on some of the crackers that had been left out in the room. The glasses boy was gaping at the TV that showed a picture of them having been capture perfectly at the moment of the crime. He seemed to be awfully worried, saying something about his sister and whatnot. Her ears twitched at the sounds of approaching footsteps.

"What kind of person is he?" Shinpachi was asking.

"Hm... a terrorist."

The door slid open.

"Don't call me that, Gintoki. We're not terrorists. We're Jouishishi."

Katsumi's eyes were immediately drawn to the man's long hair even as they started talking, then to the swords adorned by the man and his followers. More samurai. The illegal ones at that.

"The Amantos soil this country. In order to regain our pride as samurai and to protect this country, we must drive them out!"

"Then..! Are you the remnants of the samurai who attempted to drive the Amanto out twenty years ago?! To think this many still remained," Shinpachi said in awe.

"Not exactly," Katsura said, a dark shadow crossing his face.

"It looks like we're being blackmailed here," Gin interrupted, glaring slightly at one of the men in Katsura's group. "Look. There's the deliveryman."

Shinpachi let out a surprised gasp.

"So this was all your doing, Katsura? All these recent bombings as well as this incident..."

Katsumi watched with rapt interest at their exchange. The man, Zura, seemed upset at Gin for disappearing after the war. He asked why he was not taking up his sword to cleanse the supposedly rotting nation and was asking if he might take up the title of Shiroyasha once more. And Gin, Gin seemed tired. He dryly told Zura that his fight- their fight had ended long ago.

"Stop pestering me about this. What are you, my mother-in-law?"

"Are you an idiot? Mothers always pester their sons. You just don't have anyone to do that everyday," Zura argued.

Katsumi grabbed another cracker. She thought Shinpachi was doing a good job of nagging Gin everyday, though.

They began glaring at each other, making jabs about each others hair. What strange people. Katsumi paused as the air seemed to shift and her instincts began tingling. There was something coming. She stood up, brushing off the crumbs and grabbing her umbrella. It was getting closer.

"Gin-chan," Katsumi called. The man paid no attention, still arguing with his old friend. "Gin-ch-"

A large bang interrupted her as the door was kicked down and a bunch of men in black stormed in. More samurais, she thought.

"Stop right there! You're coming with us, you terrorists!"

"It's the Shinsengumi!" the men began panicking.

"Tch. They found us. Run!" Zura ordered.

"Get them before they escape!" The guy who looked to be the leader shouted.

They burst out the other end of the room, most of Zura's companions were not as fortunate though.

"Who the heck are they?" Shinpachi cried.

"They're the Shinsengumi, idiot Shinpachi. Weren't you listening?" Katsumi asked.

"Shut up, I heard that part!"

"They're basically the Shogunate's enforcers. They're a special police force responsible for eliminating the rebellious elements left in the country." Zura then turned to Gin. "Looks like we got involved with a rotten bunch. What'll we do, boss?"

"Who're you calling boss? You're the worst of them all!"

"I can take them all out if needed," Katsumi offered. "Just give me the go ahead."

"Oi, what's with that scary offer? You're going to get us into more trouble!" Gin immediately rejected.

"Hey!"

Katsumi jumped out of the way while Gin ducked just as a katana pierced the air where he had been standing and buried itself into the wall.

It was the leader looking guy from before. He looked down on Gin with a grin.

"This way," Zura whispered, tugging her and Shinpachi towards a closet. This was a bad idea, she almost protested, but she stayed silent assuming that this guy knew what he was doing.

Not even five minutes later, it was clear the man wasn't thinking too far. They were all trapped in a closet, surrounded by the Shinsengumi. And then, the long haired man pulled out a bomb from his sleeve.

Gin jumped up angrily and grabbed Zura, causing the man to drop the bomb. Katsumi picked it up curiously.

Among all the weapons she had used, a bomb was not among them due to its loud nature and unpredictability. Slaughtering people outright was so much simpler.

"I'll live as I see fit and protect that which I hold dear," Gin was saying firmly.

"Ah." Her thumb nudged one of the buttons on the round object and green numbers began flashing. "Gin-chan. How do you stop these things? I don't really understand how to work these things."

"This is a nightmare," Gin muttered.

"It must be," Katsura agreed.

"Oi! Hurry up and get out of there! We're really going to fire!" A lazy voice drawled from outside.

"Tch, no choice," Gin said as he grabbed the bomb and crashed through the door.

The samurai looked surprised at their sudden appearance.

"What are you doing, stop them!" Someone shouted.

"If you're going to stop something, stop this bomb! Don't you have a bomb squad or something?!" Gin shouted at them. Apparently they didn't because all of the them turned and fled. "Oi, wait for us!"

Gin tossed the bomb at Shinpachi, who tossed the bomb to her. Katsumi made a face, tossing it back to Gin. The two were yelling profanities as the timer ticked down.

"Gin-san, the window!" Shinpachi screamed.

"It's no good, we're dead!" Gin yelled, just as panicked.

"Gin-chan, grit your teeth," Katsumi said, pulling her umbrella back.

"Huh? W-wait, wait a second- Gah!" Katsumi hit him with enough force to propel him through the window. Katsumi watched as Gin twisted midair and flung the bomb away from him and just in time too. The bomb exploded high in the sky, just out of reach that the nearby buildings were not damaged in the least. Katsumi peered out the side of the window, spotting Gin clinging to one of the long banners that had been attached to the building.

"Don't shout so much, Shinpachi-chan," Katsumi reassured the boy. "He's alive for the moment."

"He's clinging for his life, literally! Come on, we need to help him!" Shinpachi said as he dashed for the stairs.

...

On the rooftops, Katsura stared down at the figure hugging the banner with a smile.

"Live beautifully, huh? What's beautiful about that?" Katsura turned to board the aircraft that was getting ready to leave. "But I suppose it's not so bad to have an old friend that's the same as ever."

* * *

Katsumi stared at the walls with distaste. How long were the police going to keep them there? Furthermore, their line of questioning was plain stupid. Asking all the obvious questions and all the wrong ones in between. Surprisingly, it was Shinpachi who cracked first. On their third day in the station, he lost it, screaming at the men they had nothing to do with the bombing and to just release them for god's sake he was going to get in major trouble with his sister.

...

Gin kicked the side of the gate as they exited.

"Even after I risked my life to get rid of that bomb, they kept us for three days," Gin snarled.

"Does it matter? We're cleared of any terrorist charges now," Shinpachi said exhausted.

"But to think Shinpachi would blow up like that. So that's what they mean it's always the plain looking ones," Katsumi muttered.

"Excuse me?" Shinpachi asked flatly. "You do know it's thanks to me that-"

"I'm gonna piss them a thank you," Gin said as he unzipped his pants.

"Don't start little terrorist attacks of your own!" Shinpachi scolded. "You're going to get us arrested again!"

"I was under the impression threatening the police could also get you arrested," Katsumi put in. Shinpachi turned red.

"That was-! That's because-!" Shinpachi's eyes darted around. "I have something to do today so..."

"Ara? We've been trapped in there for three days. What could you possibly have planned today?" Gin asked. "Do you have a meeting with your otaku friends?"

"Shut up! I'm leaving!" Shinpachi stormed off in a hurry.

Gintoki twitched as he heard the sound of shouts followed by footsteps. He turned in time to see a man dashing across the fence and leaping down in front of them... right into his little pool of piss. The man slipped, and Gintoki winced hard at the resounding thud the man made.

"Ow..." the man muttered, trying to regain his bearings.

"Hey! Stop him! He's a runaway criminal!" a man dashing out of the gates shouted. Alarm and panic crosses the older man's face before he jumped and grabbed Katsumi, arm positioned across her neck.

Gintoki went pale as something feral seemed to flicker in the girl's eye.

* * *

 **A/N: Ehe... sorry? I wasn't sure about the story considering the limited interest and just how extensive Gintama is. This chapter is for you, the one person that asked.**


End file.
